Chain-machine.



No. 889,415. PATENTED JUNE 2,.1908.

F. E. VANDBROOOK.

CHAIN MACHINE.

PPLIGATION FILED APR.28 190a. A 4 7 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 889,415. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

P. E. VANDERCOOK.

CHAIN MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APRIZB 190s. 7 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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No. 889,415. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

F. B. VANDERCOOTL CHAIN MACHINE.

APPLIG TION FILED P 18.1903.

A A R 7 SHEETS-SHEET 3- No. 889,415. PATENTED JUNE 2,,1908.

P. E. VANDERGOOK.

CHAIN MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1903.

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W QZZ PATENTED JUNE 2, 1909.

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F. E. VANDERGOOK. CHAIN MACHINE.

, APPLIGATION FILED APB.28, 1903.

344 001M0 0 J Frank E Vi? aercaok fluo'tflei si I F. E. VANDBRGOOK.

CHAIN MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28, 1903.

PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

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' CHAIN MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 28, 1903.

PATEN TED JUNE 2, 1908.

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mwmtoz' 1 76177115. V6171 5 70001 wwhmw FRANK E. VANDERCOOK, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

CHAIN-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed. April 28, 1903. Serial No. 154,647.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. 'VANDER4 COOK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Waterbury, in the county of New Havenand State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful lmprovement in sheet metalchainma'chins which is designed to produce aIi improved form of sheet metal chain from a contlnuous strip of metal.

It is the object of my invention to provide an automatic machine which is especially adapted to manufacture a sheet metal chain of special construction from -a single narrow stripl of sheet metal, of a width corresponding to t at of the Width of the eye portion of the com leted chain. i

T 1e s ecialconstruction of chain made on my mac ine is one formed from sheet metal comprising a folded link bearing an eye through its flat end and .a reinforced loop ortion to strengthen the same. Said reinorcement being produced by turning or folding in the side edges of the blank intermediate of the eyes in a way to thicken the shank or loop portion to the folding of the link.- It is further true that while this machine is de-- signed to make the particular style of rein-.

forced chain referred to, et it is e ually a plicable and can readily e adapted to ma e the common style of sheet metal chain, and more rapidly thanis now done.

With the above objects in view my invention resides and consists in the novel construction and arrangement of .parts shown upon the accompanying seven sheets of drawing formin a art of this specification, upon which simi ar etters and characters of reference denote like or corresponding arts throughout the several figures and of w ich,

Fi ure 1- shows a front elevation of my nove machine complete, the legs of the bed of the press, however, being broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the machine as seen from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a further enlarged sectional plan view illustrating the bed of the machine, together with the cam shaft, dies, feed mechanism and folding devices. Fig. 4 is a transverse cross section taken on line 4+4 of Fig. 3, illustrating the mechanism for feeding the sheet metal strip forward under the respective punches. Fig. 5 is a similar cross section taken a little to the-right of the previous'section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, illustrating the mechanism for the initial folds on the opposite intermediate edges of the link blank, as will again be referred to. Fig 6 shows a perspective view of the punch and die block shown in the preceding Fig. 5,'by means of which this initial folding of the link blank is effected. Fig. 7 is a cross section ,taken on line 77 of Fig. 3, illustrating in side elevation, the folding mechanism, including the post around which the blank is bent. Fig. 8 is also a cross section taken on line 88 of Fig. 3, through the folding mechanism, more clearly illustrating the construction of the several parts thereof. Fig. 9 shows an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the press bed, die bed,

die blocks and punches, the latter being slightly raised from the blocks and the whole clearly illustrating the several stations at which the different operations are performed. Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive illustrate blanks in the course of formation, all of which will again be referred to. Fig. 15 is a detailed side elevation of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, for feeding the completed ,blank forward through the eye of the previously formed link (see Fig. 13). Fig. 16 is a side elevation of a part of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, for turning the blank from a horizontal to a vertical position.

Fig. 17 is a detail rear end view of the folding of the metal through the machine is fronr left to right. It first passes through a straightening, device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.. From thence the metal passes over the initial die block where a pair of elongated holes or eyes are stamped through the central line of the strip by the first pair of punches seen in Fig. 9. The next operation upon the strip is on the adjoining die block where the outer edges intermediate of the holes referred to are disposed upward by a pair of folders o crating through the die block, deflecting t e intermediate portion of the edge of the metal upwardon either side of the retainin punch carried by the gate. Upon the adjomingor third die block this upwardly deflected metalis turned in and down upon the narrow or loop portion of the I and lowered a blank as shown in Fig. 12, by a punch of suitable formation, in a manner to reinforce the same at that point. After the intermediate portion of the blank has been turned over and reinforced as stated, the said blank is severed from the strip on the fourth die block and by the cutter punch shown on the I left in Fig. 9. The blank feeding mechanism referred to, and shown in Figs. 3 and 15 engages the rear hole in the blank, feedsit forward through the eye of the previously formed link, as shown in Fig: 13. The blank is righted, or next turned from the horizontal position, shown in Fig. 13, to the vertical position shown in Fig. 14- by the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 3 and -13.- VViththe blank in this osition the closing jaws come forward and olds the link around the previously formed link and the post shown in Figs. 3, 9 and 14. Said jaws support the closed link until the post is drawn down out of the loop of the link, whereupon the same is carried b ack in the jaws and retained, as shown in Fig. 13, until the next link is threaded through its eye and turned to the position shown in Fig. 14. With this initial description of the operation of the machine, I'will proceed to describe the parts in detail, reference being had to letters and characters of reference marked upon the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the characters of reference marked upon the drawings, and first to Figs.

1 and 2, it'will be seen that my machine is designed somewhat on'the press principle,

consisting of a bed a mounted-upon legs and carryin a suitable frame a. Within the vertically isposed side portions of this frame is mounteda driving shaft (1. bearing adriving pulley (L This pulley and shaft may be provided with any suitable clutch mechanism 5 for starting. and -stopping the machine.

b retpresent connecting links, the upper ends 0 whichare attached to eccentrics on'the driving shaft a while the lower ends are likewise pivotally connected to the vertically reciprocating gate 6 the latter being mounted in suitable ways 6 in the frame of the" press 6. Thus it will be seen that with each rotation of the shaft the gate is raised roper distance to insure the desired operation of the punches carried thereby.

Upon theend of thedriving shaft is a bevel gear 0 which'meshes with and drives a similar bevel gear'c on an angularly disposed shaft 0 mounted in a bracket 0 secured to the side of the frame of the press. On the opposite or lower end of this shaft is a third bevel gear d meshing with anddriving a similar bevel gear (1 on a horizontal shaft d journaled in bearings d? secured to the frame of the machine. This shaft is what I will term the cam shaft since it carries six against the opposite side thereof. '9 carried in the head 6 serves to close the cams for operating the several parts of the machine. Some of these cams are doubleacting cams, as will later be more particularly which the tool-carrying heads e 6 e and e are adjustably attached. The construction of these heads is the same in each instance, and consists of a block f having a dovetail recess across its top face to engage longitu dinal way e of the gate, before 'mentioned, and a similar dovetail across its under face at a right angle to the one on top. This under dovetail receives a .correspondin ly .sha ed way on the topside of 'a nipple j Wit in this ni -le is a central bore to receive the tool hol er f and a nut j? is attached to the threaded periphery of the hi ple in a manner to form ashoulder for the ange of the tool holder. The tools carried b these heads necessarily differ slightly, the fifr ing provided with a air of plain punches g-g, the faces of which are elongated to roduce elongated holes or eyes a; in the blan y. The head e carries a former g, as clearly a pears in Figs; 5, 6 and 9, which is-b'roug t down on the blank holding it in place while the folders turn the edges of the stock The tool upwardly disposed edges bf the blank down upon the narrow portion of the blank, while the punch g cuts the blank from the strip.

Upon the bed a of the machine is a die bed h which is rovided with a central longitudinal dovetail to receive the die blocks h h, h and 71- all of which are adjustable in said slot but held in place by suitable set screws. It will thus be apparent that these die blocks, as well as the tool carrying heads are both adjustable lengthwise as well as removable, adapting the machine to produce chains of different sizes which of course would neces-' sarlly require the substitution of different size tools and die blocks.

i represents a straightener through which the metal strip 71 .passes to the tools of the. .machine.

The said strip is guided under lontudinal plates t 'i and F t secured to the die bed, (see Figs. 3 4 and 9) and over the center of the respective die blocks. This strip is fed forward a given distance at predetermined intervals by .mechanism shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which I will next refer to.

To the die bed h is secured a bracket 7' having a longitudinal Way through its top side to receive a slide j. This slide has hinged to it an arm 7' carrying a finger 9' A. pin is is secured to the slide, passes up through the arm and likewise through the free end of the lever is pivoted to a stud k attached to the bed.

The rear end of the arm carries a stud and roll k which is engaged by thecam Z on the cam shaft. The cam in question is provided a dovetail way 6 (see Figs. 5 and 9) upon sthead e bei and 9, consisting in the first instance of the in predetermined distances, with each turn of v in the strip, the scrap fromsaidstrippassin g fi n through openingsof the die block an i e 'termediate side edges of the blank u ward, is

erated with the gate of the machine in a manholes, to reinforce the loo scrap which is forced down through the die with both a horizontal and Vertical cam face to engage the stud and roll respectively of the arm'in a manner to'o crate the same both forward and backwai" and in and out a ainst the action of thesprings l and 1 T e' rise and fall movement of the'lever lowers and raises the fin er to engage 'and'disengage the strip, while the forward and backward throw of the lever' is' to draw' the strip the shaft, as is obviously necessary to insure the ro" er feedin' of the machine.

T e rst 'die biock h is-provided with a pair of holes to receivethepunches 9 wherey the two initial holes or eyes are produced The second operation of deflecting the inperformed by the tools shown in igs. 5, 6

tool 9 having the teats m on its'under face, which in practice engage the elongated holes in the blank to firml retain the samein position while the two olders m secured to the plunger m move upward through the orifices m in the die block'h in a way to engage the edges of the blank and fold it in against the recessed side of the face of the tool 9. The plunger m is provided with a lower cross piece and. springs n to normally hold the same down against the press bed, and, to bring the folders m flush with the face of the die block. The vertically movable gate n mounted in the bed a, engages the underside of; this plunger to raise and lower the same, said gatebeing operated by a lever n pivoted to a bracket 11. secured to the bed. The rear end of the lever is engaged by a spring actuated pin 0 bearing a roll to engage the, cam 0' on 'the cam shaft d. From the construction just described it will be apparent that with each rotation ofthe cam shaft, the pin 0, lever 12*, gate n, the plunger and tools are op ner to deflect or fold the intervening edges of the blank upward.

The next-operation is that of folding said bent edges of the blank down upon the narrow portion of the blank, intermediate of the portion 2. This is done by the tool 9 whic is 'provided with l a, plain oval longitudinal recess to engage the edges of the blank and fold them in upon the neck of the blank, pressing the same down u on the die block h of the die bed. The b ank is again drawn forward past the severing punch g which is forced through the strip as at 0 removing therefrom a smallbit of block and die bed, thusfreeing the blank from the strip, but still retaining it in the ways for the die blocks. From the above position the open link is fed forward and gages the stud and rollof a lever p swivelly attached to abracket secured to the frame lever is pivotedly connected to an arm p at: tached to a reclprocating rocker rod p secured in suitable bear' s of a bracket g.

Spr' s g serve to norma y hold the forward d ii the lever down and therear end in engagement with the peri 'heral face of the cam ofibeforementioned, w ile thesprin g likewise serves to -normally hold. the r0 1 of the lever in engagement with the vertical face of said cam 0 The free end of the rocker rod is provided with a finger g which acts similar to the finger before mentioned, serving to engage the rear hole in the link and shoving "of themachine while t e forward end of said i e the same forward with the forward reciproeating movement of the rod and which is ac- I tuated through the lever 11 by the cam 0 The movement of this rod is, of course, just sufficient to move the onfn link forward into the loop of the folded lin as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 13. The forward end of the link is simultaneously lodged in the socket. of the" turner, which I will next describe. This turning mechanism, is clearly shown in Figs.

3, 8, .Q,'-and 16, and consists of a rocker rod '1'," mounted in a bushing 11 of the bracket g before mentioned. The near end of the rod is provided on oppositesides with longitudinal spring plates 1" which extend 'slightlybeyond t e rod in a' manner to form a pocket into which the 0 en link is inserted, as shown in FigsI 13 an 14; The outer end of this rod is provided with an arm 1' which in turn'is connected by a reciprocating link s which is bi: furcated tostraddle the cam shaft and hears a roll 8, to' engage the cam s of the cam shaft bythe actionof a spring s, which normally forces said link and roll forward, as shown in Fig.'16-. "The purpose of this'construction, as will be apparentis to receive, support and turn the link from a horizontal to a vertical position, and further tosupport the chain until the folding mechanism' engages said link and forces it around the ost, which operation willnext be described a Referring to'Figs. 3, 7 and 8, it will be seen that upon the cam shaft'd is ammt which engages a roll of 'an'eccentric link't, the lat-I ter being provided with. a s ring 't intermediate of its collar and thel fed of the press, which spring normally holds the roll down upon the-face of the'cam. One end of the lever t pivoted to a bracket offthebed, is engaged by the lower end of theeec'entric link while the forward end of the lever engages a vertically movable tubular slideu mounted Said tubebein in the bed .ofthe machine. provided with a-reduced extension u whic passes through a'plate u securedtothe rna-,

chine bed and bearing a post a to port This steel rod 4; 1 adthe extended rod v. justably secured in this reduced extension u c and in practice projects slightly above the post mentioned and serves as the medium around which-the link isfolded. Each rod being adapted to be adjusted upward with the wear of the same, as 1s obviously necessary. ,7

he reciprocating part of thefolding or bending mechanism is operated from a doushaft, the. peripheral face of ble acting cam 12' mounted upgn the cam w 'ch engages the roll .12 (see Fig. 8) secured to a slide '0 (see also'Fig. 17") which slide bears a' dovetail way to engage a similar wa in the plate u before mentioned, and is l'l irther provided with a spring 'w tonormally holdthe slide Outward with its roll against the face of the cam. Upon the top of this slide' and to a ivotal screw w is mounted a'pairof jaws w earing rolls to on their rear ends to engage the irregular shaped side faces of the earn '0" before mentione 'w represents, a spring which normally tends to hold the rear end of these jaws together against the sides of the cam, as shown in Fig. 3. The forward end of these jaws are lprovided with hardened steel points to, each aving a vertical concave recess on, its inner face of substantialllyl the shape and form of a loop of alink. T e shape of the cam and construction of mechanism is such as to force the 'aws forward while in an open osition, as s own in Fig. 3, then to close t em, bending the link around the post, next drawing them back to the rear in such folded posi- ..tion, and holding) the link in its grasp until the successive Q40 lank has been threaded through the eye, as will be obviously necesmin the foregoing description it is thought that the construction of the machine will be clear and ap arent to those skilled in the art,

and a furt er detailed description of its operation is not thought to be necessary, and will therefore be omitted;

' Having thus described my invention what I claim andrdesire to "secure by Letters Patsin ab e in one direction for displacing the inter-' 1 1, Ina chain making machine, link-clampm'echanlsm, reciprocatory means movmediate. portion of the link, and reciprocatory means movable in the opposite direction for stock .punches, of a tool and die'blo'ck for engaging the blank, folders to engage the faces' of the ed e of the blank interme late of-the' eyes to defiect them atan angle, and mechanism for closing in said deflected edges of the blank to reinforce the same intermediate of the said I In a sheet metal chain machine the combination with e e formin and blank severing dies, of a tool t e face 0 which is of a shape and size substantially corresponding with that of the blank, and teats upon the face of said tool to engage theeyes of the blank in a way to center the same, a pair of formers to engage the intermediate side edges of the blank to throw it against the two sides ofthe tooland means for closing said deflected edges in and upon the main stock.

machine, meansfor i ank, clamping means 5.--In a sheet metal chain machine, the combination with means for holding a link blank in its proper position, of reciprocatory means adapted" to engage and deflect the edges of such blank intermediate the eye portions, and means for subsequently enga ing said turned edges of'the blank and ben 'ng 11m iiame over and upon the body of the 6. In a sheet metal chain machine, the

combination with a tool the face of which is of a shape and size substantiallycorrespond ing with that of a link blank and provided with means for centering the same, of formers to engage the intermediate side edges of the blank to deflect them a ainst the two sides of said'tool, and means or closing said deflected ed es in and'upon the main stock.

Signed at aterbury in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut this 2 1st day FRAN'KE. Witnesses:

ROBERT A. Lown,

. WILBUR G. AUSTIN.

of AprilA.

r I VANDERCOOK. 

